Junior Brandon Wessels drove in his younger brother, Bryce, in the bottom of the 10th inning of game two on Friday night to help lead the Buena Vista baseball team over visiting Luther College to earn the doubleheader split to begin the four-game weekend series. The Norse edged BVU, 4-3, in the opener.

The Beavers led 3-1 through seven innings of the nightcap before the Norse rallied off closer Lucas Hadawy for two runs in the eighth inning to even things up at 3-3.  The Beavers, however, did bounce back with a run in the bottom half on a Bryce Wessels RBI single which scored Tanner Truesdell and gave the team a 4-3 lead.

Hadaway came back out for the ninth looking to close things out for the second time, but Luther put runners at first and third with one out before executing a successful safety squeeze bunt to even things back up at 4-4.

BVU had a chance to win things in the ninth after loading the bases with one out, but a pop out and a deep fly out ended the threat and forced extra innings.

Kendall Hazel came on and worked around a lead-off hit-by-pitch to pick-off the runner and record back-to-back strikeouts.

That led to the thrilling home half when Bryce Wessels got things started by lacing a single into left field.  Freshman Thomas Wisecup sacrificed him over to second before an opposite field single to right by Brandon Wessels scored Bryce and give the Beavers the one-run victory.

Bryce Wessels and Kolby Hilgenberg each went 3-for-5 in the contest with Wessels also adding the RBI and a run scored.  The game-winner by Brandon was his second hit of the game and his third RBI.  Truesdell and Eric Gurbacki also tallied two hits with Gurbacki driving in the other run.

Justin Lange got a no-decision in a starting role, working seven innings, allowing just one run on seven hits, despite walking four and striking out one.  Hadaway worked the next two innings before Hazel picked up his fourth win of the year by pitching the 10th.

BVU jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the opener with a run in the first before the Norse tied things up in the second.  Luther then put up three runs in the fifth, including a big two-run home run which gave the team its first lead at 3-1.

The Beavers weren't going down without a fight, scratching across a run in the fifth and one more in the sixth before a pinch hit line-out to center ended the game in the seventh with the tying run at second base.

Hilgenberg went 2-for-3 with two runs scored to help lead the way at the plate for BVU.  Brandon Wessels belted his first home run of the year directly over the center field fence.  All five of BVU's hits in the contest went for extra bases.

Jake Bjorkgren pitched five innings and was charged with all four runs on seven hits, while striking out three and walking one.  Fellow senior Ian Grigsby came on and was stellar over his two innings of work, allowing just one hit and striking out one.

Buena Vista is now 23-14 overall (13-13 IIAC) and remains one game behind both the Norse and Loras College for the third spot in the conference standings.  BVU and Luther will wrap up the regular season on Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader that has been pushed up to a 12:00pm start.